[RE-wrenches] Gen preheat in cold climates

[Tump]

We have installed many low ambient temp propane genset and here are a few suggestions.  I would recommend underground 1k propane tank this allows constant 50* temp improves the evap rate of liquid propane and prevents fuel starvation /lean burn conditions due to low evap rates. Primary reg set for 10 lbs if the unit is say over 100' (this is calculated BTU consumption@ full load and pipe size,) then secondary regulator inside of gen shed with the vent of regulator outside. Zero synthetic weight oil and dual HD crank batteries. In severe climes there are times when a battery heater mounted close to the gen offers enough heat to aid in block heating. We also have installed electric louvered vents controlled by a thermostat. The Gen wizard also has inputs for low starter battery voltage start settings, additionally there start on low water/block, low gen room start temps to.  Sometimes we have reset the gen start attempts from 3 to 5.  
Propane in the ground would be my first recommendation then syn oil and dual batteries.

On Apr 3, 2015, at 11:21 AM, James Jefferson Jarvis wrote:

> On 4/3/2015 9:32 AM, drake.chamberlin at redwoodalliance.org wrote:
>> We are dealing with a generator that absolutely won't start when cold, so
>> I was considering a block heater. Below 20 deg F it has proven worthless,
>> and we can see -20 F on occasion.
> 
> I had a generator like that. Below zero it wouldn't start. Replaced it's cranking battery with a bigger battery and it starts great. There are also super-capacitor based solutions to get better cranking. If you have a 24 volt system and your generator is near your battery bank, you may even be able to put a 24 volt starter on the generator and start from your battery bank.
> 
> 
>> My concern is using power from a low battery on a cold cloudy day to heat
>> a generator. How long does it take to make a difference? Has this method
>> proven 100% reliable?
> 
> What type and how big of engine are you talking about? How big is the block heater? My limited block heater experience with vehicles, tractors, etc is that an hour won't be enough. A couple hours is needed. With coolant heaters and fuel injected engines, an hour can actually cause problems. A pocket of coolant gets warm and tricks the engine management computer into thinking the coolant is warm. Then it tries to do a warm start and fails.
> 
> Getting a generator that starts reliably is the best solution I see for a moderate sized off grid installation. Otherwise you are putting a lot of energy into warming up an engine that might not start. And leaving you in a worse situation than you started.
> 
> -James Jefferson Jarvis
> APRS World, LLC
> +1-507-454-2727
> www.aprsworld.com
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